In the course of the 17th century Jesuit missionaries converted the Guaraní Indians
- in the frontier region of present-day Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay -
to christianism and organized them into 30 selfgoverning missions, known as pueblos
or reducciones. (1)
This semi-independent theocratic regime - sometimes styled the Jesuit Republic of
Paraguay - lasted until 1768, when the Jesuits were expelled and the territory was
integrated into the Spanish colonial system. After this the statute of the region
was altered several times until 1882 when Misiones became an Argentinian National
Territory under the direct authority of the central government. (2)(1) The pueblos of the Provincia Jesuítica del Paraguay were :
In present-day Argentina :
(Provinces of Corrientes, Entre Ríos and Misiones)
- 1610 : San Ignacio Miní
Nuestra Señora de Loreto
- 1619 : Concepción
- 1622 : Corpus Christi
- 1626 : Santa María La Mayor
- 1627 : Nuestra Señora de Candelaria and Nuestra Señora de los Tres Reyes
de Yapeyú
- 1628 : Santa Cruz
- 1629 : San Francisco Javier
- 1631 : Santos Apóstoles Pedro y Paulo and San Carlos
- 1633 : Santa Ana
- 1633 : San José and Santo Tomé
- 1639 : Santos Mártires del Japón
In present-day Brazil :
- 1626 : San Nicolás
- 1632 : San Miguel
- 1682 : San Francisco Borja
- 1687 : San Luis Gonzaga
- 1690 : San Lorenzo
- 1697 : San Juan Bautista
- 1707 : Santo Angel Custodio
In present-day Paraguay
- 1610 : San Ignacio Guazú
- 1615 : Nuestra Señora de Encarnación de Itapúa
- 1632 : San Cosme y San Damián
- 1647 : Santa María de Fé
- 1651 : Santiago
- 1685 : Jesús
- 1698 : Santa Rosa de Lima
- 1706 : Santísima Trinidad
All pueblos were governed by Guaraní chiefs (Caciques) under the supervision
of a Jesuit administration headed by a Superior.
After 1768 the pueblos rapidly declined and were gradually abandoned, the
Guaraní moving to the Spanish towns or returning to the forests where they
re-established their communities under traditional leaders.
(2)Evolution of Misiones 1768 - 1882
1768 : After a transitional period the territory was divided into five
departments (Candelaria, Concepción, San Miguel, Santiago and
Yapeyú) under the direct authority of the Governors of Buenos
Aires and (since 1776) the Viceroys of the Rio de la Plata.
1782 : The departments became part of two newly created Intendencies :
- Intendency of Buenos Aires : Concepción, San Miguel and Yapeyú,
- Intendency of Paraguay : Candelaria and Santiago
1801 : Portuguese-Brazilian conquest of the eastern pueblos (San Miguel
department)
1805 : The four remaining departments were regrouped into a new separate
military command.
1810 : Misiones - excapt Santiago, which joined Paraguay - rallied to the
revolutionary government of Buenos Aires and became a province.
1811 : Candelaria was annexed to Paraguay.
1814 : Misiones was occupied by Uruguay.
1815 : Misiones - including Candelaria - became a province of the League
of Free Peoples (Liga de los Pueblos Libres)
1820 : Misiones was annexed to the ephemeral República Entrerriana.
1821 : After the end of this republic Misiones - except Candelaria, once
again occupied by Paraguay - became de facto independent under the
rule of native leaders
1830 : Treaty of Santa Cruz : After the last remaining mission Guaraní had
accepted to join the Argentine province of Corrientes, Misiones was
annexed to that province without any form of selfgovernment.
Soon afterwards the first white settlers moved to the territory.
1866 : In the course of the "War of the Triple Alliance" (1865 - 1870),
Candelaria was occupied by Argentine forces.
1876 : Treaty of Buenos Aires : Paraguay formally surrendered the occupied
lands to Argentina and gave up all further claims on the territory.
1882 : Part of Misiones was detached from Corrientes and organized as one
of the Argentine National Territories.
__________________________________________________________________________________
CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Governors
Gobernadores
(subordinated to the Minister of the Interior)
1882 - 1891 Col. Rudecindo Roca 1850 - 1903
1891 - 1893 Col. Benjamín Moritán 1850 - 1902
1893 Francisco Delgado*
1893 - 1896 Juan Balestra
1896 - 1905 Juan José Lanusse
1905 Francisco Delgado* (2x)
1905 - 1908 Manuel A. Bermúdez
1908 José M. López
1908 - 1911 Justino Solari
1911 Marco M. Acosta*
1911 Diógenes Lotero*
1911 - 1916 Col. Gregorio López
1916 - 1917 Soriano Romero*
1917 - 1920 Héctor Barreyro
1920 - 1922 Tte.Nav. Guillermo Doll*
1922 Diógenes Lotero* (2x)
1922 - 1930 Héctor Barreyro (2x)
1930 José Manuel López
1930 Col. Enrique Pilotto
1930 - 1935 Carlos Acuña
1935 Julio Amarante*
1935 - 1938 Julio Vanasco
1938 Ángel H. Ruiz
1938 - 1941 Luis Cirilo Romaña
1941 Julio C. Sánchez
1941 - 1943 Esteban Semilla
1943 Gastón Fermepín
1943 - 1946 Eduardo Otaño
HOMEINDEX
